


Black Feathers

by Blank_Dream



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Ballet, I don't really know where I was going with this, Implied US/UK, Love, M/M, Odile - Freeform, One Sided Love, One sided England/Canada, Swan Lake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 22:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6444379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blank_Dream/pseuds/Blank_Dream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And he was Odile; an antagonist, a mirror image, the one that deceives and betrays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Feathers

**Author's Note:**

> Pairings: One-Sided England/Canada, Implied US/UK

It started when Francis invited him to see a performance of Swan Lake in France. 

The play, was of course, beautiful and enthralling. Captivating the audience with each pirouette, each pas de deux, and each note played by the orchestra. It was as if, they were transported into the story itself to watch the trials of Odette and her curse. 

But as Matthew watched Odile's pas de deux with Prince Siegfried, he began to wonder. 

In this dance, Siegfried believes that his beloved Odette, his hearts desire, has come to him. And Odile, Odette's spitting image, smiles, seducing him with her dance. And he is trapped.  
The ballet continues to unfold, with Odette discovering his betrayal and fleeing the castle, Siegfried at her heels when he discovers the truth.

Yet, he notices, that when Odile and Rothbart revealed the ruse, Odile does not smile. Unlike when she danced with the prince, where her smile spoke of hidden happiness, she did not smile. 

It might have been the dancer's or the troupe's interpretation of the character, or Matthew was just overthinking things– but that one act, lingered in his mind.

Could Odile, Rothbart's own daughter, Odette's enemy, be in love with Siegfried? 

Of course, as the story goes, Odile only uses her appearance to trick Siegfried so he would betray Odette. But, was that it? Was that Odile's only purpose? Was she but a girl, used as a pawn to her father's schemes; to imitate someone else; to be used and thrown away once she's served her purpose?

What if she too, like her look-a-like, fell in love with this prince?

But the prince's heart belongs to another. Because of her father, she cannot be with who she desires. 

Does that make her love untrue?

And then he thinks of his own love, and he realizes, it was almost the same.

___

Matthew accidentally meets Arthur at a nearby bar after a world meeting. 

It was raining, the outside was a cold expanse of dreary gray skies. Inside, all you could hear was the chatter and buzz of the bar, accompanied with the pitter patter of raindrops. 

Arthur was drunk, his head rested on the bar, one hand lazily clutching the handle of whatever alcoholic thing he was drinking. His face was flushed under the soft-white light of the bar, emerald eyes hooded as he stared into nothingness. 

Matthew slid in the empty stool beside him, asking the bartender for a drink. He waits until his drink arrives, only glancing ever so often at the drunk nation beside him. 

"I..never expected to...see you here." Arthur says as he raised his head up. His words slur as he speaks, but that was to be expected. What wasn't though, was England noticing him. 

Not to say that the attention wasn't welcomed, it just startled Matthew because he wasn't used to Arthur speaking to him thinking he was Alfred. He smiles softly, "Why wouldn't I be? The meeting, as usual, was as violent and chaotic as it always is, and we never got a thing done. I think a drink is well earned at this point."

Arthur snorts, taking another swig at his drink. "I...know that you git. W-what I'm saying is that– at this time you're usually spouting off driveling nonsense and yappin' loudly in my ear about god knows what."

Oh...so that's it.

Matthew sighs. He should have seen it coming, he should have predicted this, he should have never gotten his hopes up. Why would he expect that things would be different, after all these years. 

"...udenly gone mute?" Matthew jumps a bit, not noticing that Arthur was still talking. "I said 'have you suddenly gone mute,' good gracious Alfred, I knew you had a short attention span but at least try to pay attention!" 

Matthew nods, wondering why he hasn't corrected Arthur yet for his mistake. Why hasn't he stopped Arthur's story and tell him that he wasn't Alfred? Was it because he didn't want to interrupt him? Was it because he liked the attention?

Maybe it was because, if he told Arthur who he was now, the fragile little atmosphere around them would dissolve. It would once again be an awkward moment between the two, with England apologizing for his mistake, trying to remember his name again, and Matthew forgiving him...again. 

Matthew knew that if he stayed like this, pretending to be the America Arthur knew and loved, then the moment wouldn't be broken. 

Yes, he knew that Arthur loved his brother. He also knew that Alfred loved Arthur. And he also knew that he himself continues to deny any feelings for Arthur, so as not to get in the way of his brother. 

And so he thinks once again to Odile. The black swan, the other antagonist, Rothbart's daughter, Odette's look-a-like. Odile who dances with the prince and seduces him that he professes his undying love for her. 

Because she looks like Odette.

_______

And so here he was, kissing Arthur as if his life depended on it. Perhaps it did, perhaps it did not. His hands weaving through the sandy locks, gripping and tugging gently as Arthur pressed on forward, plundering his mouth. Their kiss was heated, passionate, overwhelming with desire, a kiss that seemed to pluck Matthew's soul out of the bar and thrown into a raging sea of emotion. 

They gasp, panting short breaths as they try to regain as much oxygen as they can. Matthew's arms were weak from the kiss, his whole body like jelly as he clung to Arthur. And Arthur clung to Matthew as well; his hands secured around the younger's waist, pressing them both against each other as they regained their breath. 

Arthur whispering sweet endearments in Matthew's ear.

Endearments that Matthew was never supposed to hear because they weren't for him. 

"I love you," Arthur confesses, "I love you much more than you could ever know."

There was a small gasp beside them and Matthew knew that his ruse was now over. 

____

Arthur had followed a storming Alfred out of the bar. He didn't even spare Matthew one glance. 

And Matthew sits down once again on a chair, laughing on the inside as well as wallowing in despair and self pity. 

Why did he do that? Why did he pretend to be his brother? What in his right mind possessed him to do such a thing?

Because he wanted to know. 

He wanted to know what it was like to be loved by Arthur, if only for a short time. He wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed so passionately that he felt like his lungs were going to explode from the lack of oxygen. 

He wanted to know what it was like to be loved.

He chances a glance at the window outside, the rain still pouring hard and unforgivingly on the ground. 

Even in the rain he could still make out their figures. He could still see Arthur and Alfred arguing about something– probably about him. He could see their argument start like a blazing inferno; faces contorted in anger, mouths formed into shouts of profanity, start to calm down; soft trembling, silent tears masked by the rain, eyes full of pain. 

He could see them talk to each other, their actions now more gentle. Arthur acted carefully, his expressions more apologetic as he brushed some of Alfred's rain soaked hair away from his face. And they stare into each other; their gazes seeming to have a silent conversation only known by the two of them. 

Then hesitantly, maybe drawn by the moment, they slowly inch towards each other until they seal their lips with a kiss. 

A gentle kiss, a forgiving kiss...a kiss that spoke of promises for the future and undying love. 

A kiss in the rain. How romantic. 

Matthew looks away, taking another sip of his drink. 

The story of Odette, Siegfried, and Odile were much like what happened now.

Odette was his brother; the main character, the one that was sought after, the one that was desired and loved. Siegfried was Arthur; the prince, the one who loves the princess and is loved in return.

And he was Odile; an antagonist, a mirror image, the one that deceives and betrays. 

But he loves the prince. But he deceives the prince. He betray's Odette's trust in him. He gets in the way of two people's love because of his own selfish desires.

Does that make his love untrue?

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is what happens when I read too many Canada Fanictions and watch some clips from Swan Lake performances.
> 
> In all honestly, I have no idea what came over me to write this or where I was going with this. I had an urge to write, and this was the manifestation of that urge.
> 
> I apologize for that horrible kiss scene that I wrote. I'm not good at writing things like that.


End file.
